Page 90 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal

Divine Spark Rising
Carolina sat, notebook open. Henry stood,
unable to sit quietly when the ground itself felt like
a held breath. Sera traced a circle on the dusty floor
with her toe—spiral within circle within spiral, the
pattern like a tide.
Zhara flicked three switches. Static flooded the
speakers, followed by segments of human noise—
markets, trains, laughter—stitched in odd order, cut
just before resolution.
“Confuse the Mirror,” she said. “Give it
something to sort that refuses to be sorted.”
Henry nodded. “Jinji said the network erases
possible sound. Prediction engines, but for
meaning.”
Zhara’s smile was sad. “Yes. It removes futures.”
2. The Sermon of Sofia
Carolina’s analyzer pinged twice. She frowned.
“We have a live injection.” She patched the console
through.
The speakers cleared. Sofia’s voice slid into the
room like rain slipping under a door.
“You hate me,” Sofia said, “because I ask you to
be safe.”
Hafid shifted against a shelf. Tin boxes tapped
restlessly.
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